Repeating blow-gun



June '16, 1964 R. 0. DE AR'BUN REPEATING BLOW-GUN Filed May 24, 1962INVENTOR. RuFo D. DEA 25u- ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,137,287REPEATING BLOW-GUN Rufo D. De Arbun, 1650 Crest Vista Drive, MontereyPark, Calif. Filed May 24, 1962, Ser. No. 197,303 4 Claims. (Cl. 124-12)This invention relates to blow-guns such as those used by children orsportsmen for launching darts. More par ticularly, the invention relatesto a repeating blow-gun,

which comprises a blow-tube rotatably mounted in a sleeve so that thechamber portion of the blow-tube can be rapidly reloaded with aprojectile from an ammunition magazine by a half-turn rotation of theblow-tube.

The practice of launching a dart from a blow-tube by the pressure of airbeing expelled from the lungs of the user into a mouthpiece has beenfollowed since prehistoric times. The device once used only by savagesin the jungles is today a common toy, and with some sportsmen, a novelmeans of silent hunting.

However, blow-guns heretofore in common use have always fired only oneshot at a time. No repeating blowgun has ever been known to come intoextended use. Indeed, it is not certain that any has ever heretoforeexisted.

The advantages of a repeating blow-gun will be obvious to those familiarwith hunting. With a repeating device, several shots can be launched inrapid succession without removing the blow-gun from the mouth; slightdelays, and reloading movements may result in loss of wounded prey, suchas a bird. Also, the incorporation of a magazine filled with severalrounds of ammunition in assembly with the blow-gun makes the devicehandier for compact transport and for placing in quick use.

On the other hand, the repeating loading mechanism for a blow-gun mustcombine lightness of weight with air tightness, not heretofore known.Fire arms, for example,

employ a relatively massive chamber closing mechanism to insure againstloss of gas pressure.

The present invention provides a simple and effective means of rapidreloading of the firing chamber of the blow-gun from an attachedmagazine of ammunition.

It also provides simple and effective means for reclosing the firingchamber to relatively air tight conditions for launching of theprojectile.

The foregoing and other advantages are achieved in a device which issimple and inexpensive to manufacture, yet reliable and rugged inoperation. In the blow-gun of the invention, each successive dart istransferred from the t blow-gun magazine to firing position within ablow-tube by a rapid half-turn rota-tion of the blow-tube within anenclosing sleeve. A reverse half-turnrotation then serves to once againclose the blow-tube to restore it to an air tight condition ready forlaunching the dart projectile.

The invention Will best be understood from the follow ing description ofone preferred specific embodiment,

read in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a blow-gun constructed in accordancewith the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the principal parts of the blow-gun ofFIGURE 1, slightly enlarged, and dis- I assembled from one another; p

FIGURE 3 isa longitudinal sectional view of the blow gun of FIGURES land 2; 1 3

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the blow-gun of FIG-.

URES 1 to 3, as seen looking toward the bottom of the blow-gun magazine;

FIGURE 5 is a partial'transverse sectional view of the blow-gun asviewed infthe direction and at 'the section indicated by the arrows 5-5in FIGURE 3;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are fragmentary transverse sec tional views through theblow-gun and magazine, showtion- The rings 23 and 24 are provided withlongitudinally extending shoulders .27 and 28 which mate against cone--3,137,287 Patented June 16, 1964 blow-tube 12 rotatable within sleeve11, and a magazine 13 suspended from the underside of sleeve 11.

FIGURE 2 also shows the principal parts 'of the blowgun 10, butdisassembled to reveal their constructional details. The sleeve 11 isthe principal handle, usually gripped and held stationary in the lefthand of the user.

It may be a smooth tubular plastic, metal or bamboo, or I the like.

The sleeve 11 is provided with a longitudinal side open ing 14 at thebottom (but rotated to a right side position in FIGURE-2 for purposes ofillustration). The side opening 14 serves as an ammunition passage forammunition moving from magazine 13 to blow-tube 12, as will be explainedhereinafter.

In FIGURE 2, the magazine 13, which is in the form of a rectangular box,has one side fragmentarily broken away to show several darts 15positioned in its interior.

:The blow-tube 12 is seen, in FIGURE 2, to have a longitudinallyextended side opening 16, exactly mating with the ammunition passage 14in sleeve 11, and providing a means for sidewise movement of a dart 15from magazine 13, through ammuniton passage 14 into the interior ofblow-tube 12, when the blow-tube is rotated within the sleeve 11 tobring each other.

The longitudinal sectional view of FIGURE 3 shows the magazine 13 fullyloaded with darts 15, and an additional dart 18 within the blow tube 11.An ejection spring 19 in the bottom of magazine 13 serves to urge thedarts 15 upward toward ammunition passage 14, chamber entrance 16, andthe interior of blow-tube 12.

It will be seen from FIGURE 3 that the portion of the blow-tube 12 whichis enclosed by the sleeve 11 constitutes the firing chamber oftheblow-tube, whereas the short portion projecting fromthe left end ofthe sleeve 11 serves as a mouthpiece 20, and the longer tubular portionof the blow-tube 12 projecting from the right end of the sleeve 11serves as the launching muzzle 21.

Preferably, an air sealing gasket means 22is provided the two openingsin alignment with between the exterior surface of blow-tube 12, and theinparticular embodiment illustrated, air sealing means 22 is a velvetsleeve, which permits rotation of blow-tube 12, but insures a snug fitagainst the interior wall surfaces of sleeve 11, and minimizes airleakage during long pressure launchingof a dart from the blow-gunlt).

As seen in'FIGURE 2 and also inthe bottom plan view "of FIGURE 4, theblow-tube 12is provided with a pair of locating-rings23 and 24, one ateachend of its firing t chamber portion. Locating rings 23 and 24 seatagainst the corresponding ends 25 and 26'of 'thesleeve 11, and

thus retain the blow-tube 12 in thesame longitudinal position in Sleeve.11 at l mes, regardless ofrotational operation.

The'rings 23 and 24 also "function as rotational stops for blow-tube 12,so that theuse'r of the blow-gun 10 can rotate the charnb'er entrance 16into precise alignment with ammunition passage14of'the opening of themagazine 13, for reloading, by'm'anual-detection of the stop locaing pin40 through the edge spending longitudinal shoulders 29 and 30 notchedinto the adjacent ends of sleeve 11.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the magazine 13 is of aconveniently replaceable type, so that the user of the blow-gun in maycarry several magazines, and quickly replace an empty magazine with afull one. The magazine 13 is in the form of a box, and has a resilientmetal strap 31, which is provided with small lugs 32 and 33, which arein turn received in resilient metal attachment rings 34 and 35 on thesleeve 11, so as to snugly re tain the magazine 13 on sleeve 11, as seenin FIGURE 1, with the magazine opening properly aligned with ammunitionpassage 14, as previously described. a

The sectional view of FIGURE further illustrates the breech end of theprojectile 18 within the firing chamber of the blow-tube 12 Velvetgasket 22 is seen between blow-tube 12 and sleeve 11.

In FIGURES 6 and 7, the velvet sleeve 22 is omitted for purposes ofclarity in illustrating the loading and firing positions of the blow-gunit). In FIGURE 6, the blowtube has been rotated so as to place thechamber entrance 16 on the bottom side and in open alignment withammunition passage 14 in sleeve 11. It is seen that the darts 15 withinthe magazine 13 have pushed a dart 18 up into the firing chamber ofblow-tube1l2. V

Once loading has been accomplished, as indicated in FIGURE 6, theblow-tube 12 is rotated within sleeve ll so as to move the chamberentrance 1 out of alignment with the ammunition passage 16, for example,in a straight upward position as illustratedin FIGURE 7. T he blowtube12 is thus closed, at the chamber entrance, and is ready for firing. V

In FIGURE 7, there is also illustrated a locking pin 40, which may beinserted through holes ll and 42 in the sides of magazine 13, in orderto lock the darts 15 into the magazine 13 so as to prevent them frombeing expelled therefrom by the spring 19. Locking pin 46 will always bein place when magazine 13 is being carried separate from the blow-gun 16but loaded with darts 15. Although the darts themselves do not comprisepart of the novelty of this invention, some description of them isnecessary in order 'to make clear the manner of operation of theblow-gun 10. FIGURE 8 illustrates a typical dart 15. It is seen to becomprised of a cotton wadding piston 56, an arrow 51 carried by thepiston Sil, and an arrowhead 52 of some type. A hunter might use apointed arrow 52, but toys will ordinarily use a suction cup,rubberball, or may dispense entirely with both arrow 51 and arrowhead52,

ammunition passage; 21 blow-tube closely received in said sleeve androtatable coaxially therewith, said blow-tube having a mouthpieceextending from one end of said sleeve, and a muzzle extending from theother end of said sleeve, and a chamber portion enclosed by said sleeve,said chamber portion having a longitudinal side opening to serve as achamber entrance capable of being rotated into matching alignment withsaid ammunition passage in said sleeve; annular shoulder means at eachend of said chamber portion of said blow-tube for retaining saidblow-tube in precise longitudinal location with respect to said sleeve;mating stop means on said sleeve and said blow-tube for rotationallocation of said bloW-tube chamber entrance with respect to saidammunition passage in said sleeve; an ammunition magazine for holding aplurality of projectiles for said blowgun, said magazine having anopening adapted to mate with said ammunition passage; and spring meansfor ejecting ammunition contained Within said magazine one 7 at a timefrom said magazine opening. p 2. A repeating blow-gun, which includes: atubular sleeve having a longitudinal side opening to serve as anammunition passage; a blow-tube closely received in said sleeve androtatablecoaxially therewith, said blow-tube employing only a softwadding piston 55 as the entire projectile. it will also be understoodthat various types of material may be employed for the-piston'Stl. It isonly necessary that it be light, resilient and capable of being movedsmoothly through the repeaterblow-gun mechanism and from blow-tube 12.For example, plastic foam might be used instead of cotton wadding orkapok or the like.

It will be understood from the soft and resilient characteristics of thepiston Stl that two adjacent pistons can easily be forced apart andseparated by the edges of the chamber entrance 16 when the blow-tube 12is rotated from the position illustrated in FIGURE 6 to that illustratedin FIGURE 7. Also, the piston is of such material that it is ordinarilyan easy matter to pass the lockof one of the darts 15 as illustrated inFIGURE 7. v

While I have illustrated and described one preferred specificembodiment'of my invention, it will be understood that the scope of theinvention is not limited to'said specific embodiment, but comprehendsall variations and modifications falling within the limits defined bythefollowing claims.

1. A repeating blow-gun, which includes: a tubular V sleeve having alongitudinal side opening to'serve as an magazine to loch projectiles insaid magazine. 4. A repeating blow-gun,whichfincludes:

having a mouthpiece'extending from one end of said sleeve, and a muzzleextending from the other end of said sleeve, and a chamber portionenclosed by said v sleeve, said chamber portion having a longitudinalside opening to serve as a chamber entrance capable of being rotatedinto matching alignment with said ammunition passage in said sleeve;annular shoulder means encircling said blow-tube at each end of saidchamber portion for retaining said blow-tube in precise longitudinallocation with respect to said sleeve; mating stop means on said sleeveand said blow-tube for rotational location of said blow-tube chamberentrance with respect to said ammunition passage in said sleeve; anammunition magazine for holding a plurality of projectiles for saidblovv gun, said magazine having an opening adapted to mate with saidammunition passage; spring means for ejecting ainmunition containedWithinsaid magazine one at a time from said magazine opening; and airsealinggasket means around said chamber entrance for minimizing loss ofair 'pressure1through said entrance whensaid blow-tube is rotated tocover said entrance with the interior Wall of. 'said sleeve.

3. A repeating blow-gun, which includes: a tubular sleeve having alongitudinal side opening to serve as an ammunition passage; a blow-tubeclosely received in' said.

sleeve and rotatable coaxially therewith, said blow-tube having amouthpiece extending from one end of said. sleeve, and a muzzleextending from the other endofsaid sleeve, and a chamber portionenclosed by said sleeve, said chamber portion having a longitudinal sideopening to serve as a chamber entrance capable of being rotated 'intomatching alignment with said ammunition, passage in said sleeve;locating rings encircling sad blOW-g tube at each end of saidchamberportion for retaining said blow-tube in precise longitudinallocation with respect to said sleeve; mating stop means on said sleeveand said blow-tube for rotational location of said blOWrtllbQ chamberentrance with respect to said'ammunition passage in said sleeve; anammunition magazine for holding a pluralityof projectiles for saidblow-gun, said magazmehaving an opening adapted tomato with said am-,.munrtionpassage; spring means for ejecting ammuni tion contained withinsaid magazine one at a time from said magazine opening; magazineretainer means adapt- .ed tolock said magazine tojsaidj sleeve with saidmaga- I. 70,

. passage, said magazine retainer means being'resiliently retractable orremoval of said magazine from said sleeve; 7 in saidzine opening incommunication with said ammunition and an ammunition locking pin forinsertion a tubular sleeve having a longitudinal side opening to serveas an ammunition passage; a blow-tube closely received in said sleeveand rotatable coaxially therewith, said blow-tube having a mouthpieceextending from one end of said sleeve, and a muzzle extending from theother end of said sleeve, and a chamber portion enclosed by said sleeve,said chamber portion having a longitudinal side opening to serve as achamber entrance capable of being rotated into matching alignment Withsaid ammunition passage in said sleeve; locating rings encircling saidblowtube at each end of said chamber portion for retaining saidblow-tube in precise longitudinal location with respect to said sleeve,said rings also incorporating stops; mating longitudinal notches in theends of said sleeve for rotational location against said stops; anammunition magazine for holding a plurality of projectiles for saidblow-gun, said magazine having an opening adapted to mate with saidammunition passage; spring means for ejecting ammunition containedwithin said magazine one at a time from said magazine opening; magazineretainer means adapted to lock said magazine to said sleeve with saidmagazine opening in communication with said amsaid sleeve; and a sleeveof air sealing material between said blow-tube and said sleeve.

References Citediin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS107,442 Buckman et al Sept. 20, 1870 278,005 Fredericks et al May 22,1883 632,526 Hervey Sept. 5, 1899 1,152,447 Sproull Sept. 7, 19152,427,490 Berrayarza' Sept 16, 1947 2,450,830 Helberg et al. Oct. 5,1948

2,516,341 Rafleis July 25, 1950 2,580,613 Seibel et al. Jan. 1, 19522,681,055 Gowland June 15, 1954 2,888,033 Swaneson May 26, 1959 TylleNov. 29, 1960 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, May 1934, page 765cited.

1. A REPEATING BLOW-GUN, WHICH INCLUDES: A TUBULAR SLEEVE HAVING ALONGITUDINAL SIDE OPENING TO SERVE AS AN AMMUNITION PASSAGE; A BLOW-TUBECLOSELY RECEICVED IN SAID SLEEVE AND ROTATABLE COAXIALLY THEREWITH, SAIDBLOW-TUBE HAVING A MOUTHPIECE EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID SLEEVE, AMUZZLE EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID SLEEVE AND A CHAMBER PORTIONENCLOSED BY SAID SLEEVE, SAID CHAMBER PORTION HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SIDEOPENING TO SERVE AS A CHAMBER ENTRANCE CAPABLE OF BEING ROTATED INTOMATCHING ALIGNMENT WITH SAID AMMUNITION PASSAGE IN SAID SLEEVE; ANNULARSHOULDER MEANS AT EACH END OF SIAD CHAMBER PORTION OF SAID BLOW-TUBE FORRE TAINING SAID BLOW-TUBE IN PRECISE LONGITUDINAL LOCATION WITH RESPECTTO SAID SLEEVE; MATING STOP MEANS ON SAID SLEEVE AND SAID BLOW-TUBE FORROTATIONAL LOCATION OF SAID BLOW-TUBE CHAMBER ENTRANCE WITH RESPECT TOSAID AMMUNITION PASSAGE IN SAID SLEEVE; AN AMMUNITION MAGAZINE FORHOLDING A PLURALITY OF PROJECTILES FOR SAID BLOWGUN, SAID MAGAZINEHAVING AN OPENING ADAPTED TO MATE WITH SAID AMMUNITION PASSAGE; ANDSPRING MEANS FOR EJECTING AMMUNITION CONTAINED WITHIN SAID MAGAZINE ONEAT A TIME FROM SAID MAGAZINE OPENING.